The Betty was an ageing transport ship captained by Frank Elgyn in the 24th century and crewed by a collection of smugglers and mercenaries.

History

The Betty was a very dated ship. It was stolen from orbit by Elgyn and his crew in 2374, at which time the vessel was known as the Almayer's Folly. Elgyn subsequently renamed the vessel the Betty after his mother, Beatrice Martin.[1] Owing to the ship's advanced age, it required constant repair and maintenance.

Layout and modifications

It has rear thrusters and is fitted with magnetic docking clamps. There are aspects of the ship that share a likeness to mid 20th century cargo vessels like the rear cargo door, the cockpit design and the artwork on the ship's side.

The Betty's design was created not as a traditional drawing, but as a 'kitbash', and physical model assembled from the parts of various home modelling kits. Included in the original mock-up was the hull from a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close support jet aircraft, better known as the "Warthog".[2] The ship's cockpit was originally going to be far more open with all-around windows, but was made more claustrophobic due to budget constraints.[3] The final shooting miniature was built from foam core and cardboard. The ship's interior was inspired by the look of industrial equipment, including jackhammers and forklift trucks, and also took inspiration from the Power Loader from Aliens.[4]

Model Betty There is not downloadable ja testing whether it goes well glued